Former lieutenant, wife get jail time for tax scam

A former St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office lieutenant and his wife both received jail time after pleading guilty to charges that they filed false federal tax returns using the names of inmates to collect more than $800,000, according to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten’s office.

Warren LeBeauf Jr., 42, and Tamara Scott-Landry, 37, both pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States in front of U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier. Additionally, Scott-Landry pled guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Scott-Landry was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison by Barbier last week. LeBeauf received a 30-month sentence.
According to court documents, Scott-Landry applied for and received an Electronic Filers Identification number from the IRS in 2004. That allowed her business, Scott’s Accounting Service, to prepare and file tax returns. LeBeauf, who was employed by the Sheriff’s Office at that time, had the ability to obtain the personal information of prisoners through the Louisiana Law Enforcement Telecommunications System.

Scott-Landry then provided LeBeauf with a list of prison inmate names and LeBeauf ran the names through the LLETS system, according to authorities.

Scott-Landry used the information to file fraudulent tax returns and the funds were deposited into bank accounts controlled by LeBeauf and Scott-Landry.

In one instance, authorities say that Scott-Landry withdrew nearly $26,000 in cash over a three-day period and both her and LeBeauf went to a Chevrolet dealership and purchased a 2004 Suburban with a paper bag full of cash.

When authorities executed a search warrant at Scott-Landry’s residence, they say they discovered inmate names and other items used in the fraud inside the 2004 Suburban parked in the driveway.

According to court records, Scott-Landry filed tax returns fraudulently claiming approximately $810,183.

Letten and James Lee, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, both offered their thanks to Sheriff Greg Champagne and the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office for “providing valuable assistance in this investigation and for their outstanding law enforcement partnership.”